Work holding device



2 Sheetg-Sheet 1 I v 1m. ||.H|||| |l||||| W 11% w \R mg M m m W M M y 1958 R. H. FAY

WORK HOLDING DEVICE Filed Nov. so, 1956 M y 1958 R. H. FAY 2,834,163

WORK HOLDING DEVICE Filed Nov. so, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 Q, 7:I 51- I I f M%\ v v E WORK HOLDING DEVICE Robert H. Fay, Wilbraham, Mass. Application November 30, 1956, Serial No. 625,503

' 4 Claims. (Cl. 51-=237) This invention relates to improvements in a work holding device and is directed more particularly to improvements in a device for holding a work piece for outside diameter grinding on a surface grinder, or for some other machining operation.

The principal object of the invention is directed to the provision of a device for supporting a work piece on centers for an outside diameter surface grinding operation or the like by a surface grinder or other machine.

The device of the invention is constructed and arranged for extreme accuracy, particularly in connection with reiatively small work pieces where the utmost in precision is desired and necessary.

The device is characterized by non-rotatable work supporting centers, one said center being yieldable axially to compensate for elongation of the work piece held between the centers, such as may result from the heating of the work piece by a grinding operation, or the like. As one feature of the invention, means is provided for rotating a work piece supported by the centers, whereby the work piece may be rotated relative to a grinding wheel or the like acting upon the work piece.

' United States Pate t it O According to another feature of the invention, a head 1 anda tail stock carrying the centers are adjustable towards and away from one another to accommodate work pieces of various lengths.

According to a further feature of the invention, the

head and tail stocks are carried by a member which is adjustable relative to a bed. This facilitates alignment ofthe axis of the centers and the work piece with the axis of a grinding wheel or the like, and may provide a desired angular relationship of the axis of the work piece, in combination with a means for locking said member in adjusted position. Various and numerous novel features and advantages of the device of the invention will be observed from the following description of the present preferred form thereof. Changes and modifications may be made in the form of the device without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and thereof it is desired to be limited, if at all, by the appended claims rather than by the following description of the invention, illustrated by the drawings, whereini- Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a work holding device embodying the novel features of the invention; f iFig, 2 i's .a frontelevational view of the head stock bearing for the'head center;

Figs. 3 and'4aresectional views on the lines 3-3 and 4 4; respectively; of Fig. 1; Fig; 5 is an elevational view of the tail stock bearing of the device; v r Fig. 6 is asectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1 and Fig: 7 is an endelevational view of the upper portion of the tail stock of the device.

Referring to the drawings more in detail, the novel features of the invention will be fully described.

A base plate is shown at 2 for supporting the device on the bed of a grinder or other machine. An elongated Z,834,iii3 Patented May 13, 1958 rail member 4 is secured to said bed or the like.

An elongated supporting member 6 has a pivot 8 secured therein which extends rearwardly, as shown in Fig. 3. A bore 10 is provided around the pivot, in the rail 4, and a cam member 12 has an inner portion 14 disposed in said bore. The cam member 12 is held on the pivot 8, against axial movement by a screw 16, is rotatable thereon, and is provided with a manually engagcable pin 13.

A cam portion 18 of the cam member 12 is eccentrically disposed relative to the longitudinal axis of said member 12. Upper and lower screws 17 and 19 of the rail 4 have inner ends engageable with cam 18.

A pivot 20 is fixed in the rail 4, at the right hand end in Fig. 1, and the support 6 is swingable thereon. A clamp screw 22 extends loosely through the support 6, is in threaded engagement with the rail 4, and has a knob 24. Another clamp screw 26 extends rather loosely through the rail 4 and threadedly engages the support 6. Said screw has a knob 28.

With the screws 22 and 26 loosened, the screws 17 and 19 are adjusted to be engaged by the cam 18, and the cam member 12 may be rotated in one direction or the other by grasping the pin 13. The cam 18, as it turns, being in abutment with a screw, lifts or lowers the pivot 8 so as to swing the support, on its pivot 20, up or down. The arrangement is such that the support is swung up or down a few thousandths of an inch, to align the centers of the device relative to the axis of a grinding wheel or the like, or for some other purpose. The support is clamped in adjusted positions by means of the clamp screws 26 and 22. 1 A head stock post 30 extends vertically upwardly from the support 6, and is secured thereto. by an angularly disposed screw or bolt 32 threadedly engaging said support, see Fig. 6. A tail stock post 34 is similarly secured to the support 6 by a bolt or screw 36.

A tall stock bearing 38 is secured to an angular seat of the post 34, formed by angularly disposed faces 35 and 37, by a screw or bolt 40, see Figs. 5 and 7. A head stock bearing 40 is similarly secured to the head stock post 30, said bearing being clearly shown in Fig. 2.

The tail stock bearing 38 is slotted at 46, and is slit longitudinally at 48, see Fig. 5. Screws 50' are provided to adjust the bearing for longitudinal sliding movements of the tail center 52, without looseness or play.

' A pair of spacers 56 space a tail stock plate 58 from the post 34. The. spacers and plate 58 are secured to the post by screws 60, as in Fig. 7.

A stop 62 in the form of a plate receives the center 52 and is slotted at 64. A screw 66 of the stop clamps the stop to the center. Said stop may be adjusted along the center.

A spring 68 between the stop 62 and end plate 58 urges the stop and center 52 inwardly so that the center is yieldable outwardly. I

A head center 70 is secured in the head bearing 40 by screws 72, see Fig. 2. A bushing 74 is rotatable on the, center between an inner end of the bearing 40, and a; collar 76 fixed to the center. A sprocket 78 is fixed to'the bushing 74, and thus the bushing 74 is rotatable on the non-rotatable center 70.

A driving plate 80 around the sprocket 78 is split at 82, and is clamped to the sprocket by a screw 84, see Fig. 6.

A work piece W is shown as being supported by the centers 52 and 70. A dog consisting of a pair of bars 86 and 88 is shown as clamped to the work piece by screws 90, see Fig. 6. A pin 81 of the driving plate 80, on rotation of the bushing 74 and sprocket 78, engages the dog so as to rotate the work piece.

plate by bolts, screws A strut tee is secured to the outer side of the post 30 I by screws 102, and extends upwardly forwardly of the head center bearing 40. The upper end of the strut is split at 104, as shown in Fig. 6. A drive shaft bearing 1% in the strut 100 is clamped therein by a screw 108, which draws the split portion of the strut about the bear= ing 106. A shaft 110 is rotatable in a bushing 1112 of the bearing 106.

A sprocket 114 is fixed on the inner end of the shaft 110, and a crank handle 116 is fixed on the outer end of said shaft 110 for manual rotation of the shaft and sprocket.

A chain 118, which may be of the ladder type, engages the sprockets 114 and 78 of the bushing 72, which bushing is rotatable on the head center, whereby the driving plati'is rotated to rotate the work dog and thereby the wor A plurality of tapped holes 33 are provided along the support 6, for the screws 32 and 36 of the posts 30 and 34. The posts may be spaced the desired distance apart, by utilizing such of the holes as will provide the desired spacing.

' The work W is rotatably supported by the centers 52 and 70 for outside diameter grinding or other operations, as may be desired.

The spring 68 acts on the stop 62. The stop 62 is secured to the center in .such a manner as to be spaced slightly outwardly of the outer end of the bearing 38. In this way, the spring acts against the stop, but is yieldable. Should there be a tendency for the work piece to elongate, due to heating up, the center is movable outwardly. Thereby there will be no binding and the work piece will, at all times, be suitably supported for rotation.

The base plate 2 is adapted to be supported by a machine with which the device is used, such as a surface grinder.

The support '6 is adjustable to position the longitudinal axes of the centers and work piece, as may be desired. This is accomplished by loosening the clamp screws 22 and 26, and rotating the cam member 12 in one direction or the other. The cam 18, rotatable on the pivot 8, and in engagement with one of the screws, swings the support up or down on the pivot 20. The support is secured in adjusted position by tightening the clamp screws.

It is possible to rotate the work piece at the desired speed and to adjust the longitudinal axis of said work piece as may be desired.

Various changes and modifications may be made in the form of the device within the spirit and scope of the invention, therefore it is desired to claim'and secure the following, by Letters Patent of the United States:

1. A device for rotatably supporting a work piece for a surface grinding or other machining operation comprising, an elongated support, head and tail posts secured at lower ends to said support in relatively spaced rela tion and extending upwardly therefrom, head and tail bearings secured to upper portions of said posts, a head center secured in said head bearing, a tail center reciprocable in said tail bearing in axial alignment with said head center, yielding means urging said tail center towards said head center, a bearing fixed relative to said head post having a shaft rotatable therein, a member rotatable in said head center, driving connections between said shaft and member, a base, said support pivotally connected at one end to said base for'swingirig relative thereto and having a pivot fixed to an opposite end of said support, a cam member rotatable on said pivot having an eccentric portion engageable with a part provided on said support whereby as said eam member is rotated said pivot is moved to swing said base.

2. A device for rotatably supporting a work piece for a surface grinding or other machining operation comprising, an elongated support, head and tail posts secured at lower ends to said support in relatively spaced relation and extending upwardly therefrom, head and tail bearings secured to upper portions of said posts, a head center secured in said head bearing, a tail center reciprocable in said tail bearing in axial alignment with said head center, yielding means urging said tail center towards said head center, a bearing fixed relative to said head post and having a shaft rotatable therein, a member rotatable on said head center, means for rotating said shaft, a base, said support pivotally connected at one end to said base for swinging relative thereto and having a pivot fixed to an opposite end of said support, a cam member rotatable on said pivot having an eccentric portion engageable with a part provided on said support whereby as saidcam memberis rotated said pivot is moved to swing said base, said support including an elongated rail member and an elongated support member having adjacent end portions provided with pivot means for relative swinging movements of opposite ends of said members, means provided in the opposite ends of said members for relative swinging thereof, means to releasably secure said members against relative movements.

3. The device as set forth in claim 2 wherein said means for swinging said opposite ends of the members of said support structure includes an elongated pivot fixed in the opposite end of one member extending into an enlarged bore provided in the opposite end of the other member with a cam rotatable thereon in said base having a periphery eccentrically related relative to the longitudinal axis of said pivot, and adjusting screws in said other member having inner ends engageable with opposite sides at said cam.

4. A device for rotatably supporting a work piece for a machining operation comprising in combination, an elongated support, a head post secured to the lower end of said support and extending upwardly therefrom, a tail post secured to the lower end of said support in spaced relation to said head post and extending upwardly from said support, a head bearing secured to an upper portion of said head post, a tail bearing secured to 'an upper portion of said tail post, a head center secured to said head bearing, a tail center reciprocable in said tail bearing and being inaxial alignment with said head center, yielding means urging said tail center toward said head center, abearing fixed relative to'said head post and having a shaft rotatable therein, amember rotatable in said head center, means for rotating said shaft, 21 base, said support being pivotally connected to said base at one end thereof for swinging relative thereto, a pivot means fixed tothe opposite end of support, and a cam being rotatable on said pivot means and having an eccentric portion engageable with a part provided on said support whereby as said cam ir rotated said pivot means is at mated to swing said base.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,895,830 Walker Ian. 21, 1933 1,958,105 Koehler 'May8, 1934 2,160,365 Larsson May'BO, 1939 2,706,872 Flanders Apr. 26, 1955 2,746,218 Bowie May 22, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 489,546 France Feb. 14, 1919 

